One of the great things about elementary school science fairs is they invariably provide an opportunity for adults to learn something and the annual event at Crossroads School in Devlin last week was no exception.
For instance, do you know what the best product is for removing tough, set-in stains? Some fancy and expensive commercial product, perhaps?
No sir.
According to Grade 6 student Bailey Jewell, your best bet is good old-fashioned baking soda.
That was just one example of the kind of things Crossroads students were doing at the science fair last Thursday. Projects ran the gamut from the practical to the fanciful, and all were an opportunity for the students to learn as well as express themselves in creative ways.
One set out to determine the optimum distance from which to shoot a partridge with a .410 shotgun so as to ensure a clean kill without unduly damaging the meat.
Another explored the wonderful world of mucus discharge and the best means of corralling it. Using raw eggs as his “booger” source, Grade 8 student Cole Benjamin discovered your best bet is Scotties tissues (now you know).
Other students pursued more conventional ideas and the best of those, along with their projects, will be going to the regional science fair in Kenora on April 2-3.
Crossroads principal Brian Love said every student in the school has to submit a project—no exceptions. He firmly believes the kind of creative thinking and hands-on experience associated with science projects is one of the most valuable learning tools a student can acquire.
“I think this is more meaningful for the kids in the long run than anything they do with pen and paper,” he stressed.
The younger students (Grades 1-3) work as a team on a collective effort while the fourth-graders are given a list of ideas from which to choose. For the senior grades, the sky’s the limit—and some of them took that literally.
Two students, for example, did a project on paper airplane design while another did his on the design of flight feathers for arrows.
Alyssa Caul’s project on the making of magnets was judged the best of the Grade 4 submissions, with Nick Donaldson’s comparative study on honey versus sugar coming in second.
Hailey Shypit was third with her research on the merits of shouting as opposed to hollering.
Cameo Harrison’s project on the safest colours to wear at night topped the Grade 5 entries, with Chelsea Hill taking second with “My Dam Project” (the title alone probably deserved at least an honourable mention).
Carly Schaum was third with her measurements of heat expansion.
In Grade 6, Devon Ball took first place for his project on generating electricity while Matt Kellar was second with his research on thermal insulation. Chelsea Craig’s project, “The Power of Vinegar,” got the nod for third place.
James Saunders’ comprehensive research into measuring the amount of elemental iron in breakfast cereals topped the Grade 7 entries, with Lindsey Richardson’s “Fruity Fresh” project earning runner-up status.
Adam Esselink took third place with “Ice Busters.”
And in Grade 8, Jonathan Rogowsky’s complex project, “A Peeling Predicament,” was judged the best. In it, he measured and documented the relative amounts of sugar, iron, and Vitamin C in the flesh and skins of various fruits and vegetables.
David Donaldson was second with “Fletchings”—a project in which he discovered the best type and shape of feathers to make his arrows fly straight and true.
Garnet Cornell took third place with “Heat Absorption in Liquids.”
The two top Grade 8 projects, as well as the first-place winners in the other grades, will be going to Kenora to compete against the best in the region.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
